Thoughts and observations about Modesto and Stanislaus County

Archive for the tag “Jake Wenger”

It’s time for recommendations for our local elections. If you’ve read the articles here on the EyeOnModesto

and listened to the radio show ‘What’s on America’s Mind‘, you’re well aware of our stances. The issues facing some offices make our choice extremely clear (MID water sales and Board Governance Policy). In others, the candidates past actions makes our choice easy (Developer/Profiteers).

From participating at MID meetings and city committee and council meetings, candidate forums and following the money, we’ve learned the true beliefs of the candidates not the ones they tell the public in order to get elected. There is even one candidate for Hart-Ransom School District who is in favor of forced public urination for 13 year old girls in mixed company (you can’t make this stuff up. Candidate (Athens Abell) wrote it on her facebook).

MID District 4 is the toughest call. We have three candidates who could perform well but unfortunately one must be chosen. The polls are suggesting the candidate most likely to defeat Jim Mortensen (arguably the worst candidate for the people/ratepayers), is Jake Wenger. For a complete breakdown on the election candidates check out recent “What’s on America’s Mind” broadcasts.

MID should have people who are committed to doing what’s right for rate payers AND farmers. Not just to do what farmers and/or MID

wants. Electric rate payers already pay 95% of the MID bills and water users pay 5% of these bills.
Jake Wenger dropped off a flyer while I was out. I called him Wednesday morning and asked him where he stands on a number of subjects at MID. First off he was glad I called and second he was forthright with his answers. When I asked about the “board governance policy” which gives the MID manager more power to make decisions (and less power to the Board), he explained that when he is elected, that will be the first thing he will addres,s to delete this “policy”! I agree wholeheartedly!
I spoke to Paul Warda a couple of months ago about this same “policy”. He told me that he didn’t know it was in the proposal at the time he voted on it and asked for a clarification from a MID executive who researched it and told him “yes, this “policy” was still in the proposal when the Board voted on it”, unfortunately. He apologized for his mistake and vowed that if he had known about it, he never would have voted for the proposal!
Maybe it was just Van Groningen leaning on Warda to push him to vote for the proposal…..
Jake is not just looking out for farmers, as some people may think (farmers are for farmers mentality). On the contrary, he says that the cost of water could be increased to about $30/acre foot and still be profitable for most farmers. Those that grow corn would have a tougher time of it as corn requires more water to mature. However, with water users paying more of the bills it would ease the expense paid by electric rate payers.
If the cost of water reaches $50/acre foot, farmers would drill their own wells and not buy MID water. But, if farmers keep drilling, the aquifer will diminish and may never be replenished and we have only so much water to spread around.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR DOUBTS REGARDING JAKE or MID policies, CALL HIM! THE NUMBER IS IN THE FLYER (209-484-9343). He’ll answer you with good, honest information.